Finding a job extra difficult for older workers

The recession has been particularly hard on older workers, and many suspect age discrimination.

Among them is Larry Wilson, a 57-year-old resident of St. Charles County. He told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he long ago stopped counting the number of rejected employment applications and is resigned to the fact he may never find a full-time job again.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployed job-seekers over 55 typically wait 56 weeks to find a job, far more than the 38-week average for the rest of the unemployed population.

AARP President Robert Romasco says discrimination is hard to prove, but many job-seekers in their 50s and older believe it exists.